Improved ditching-machine



' To all whom t may concern e dlnted 'Sietse @wat @pitre vWILSON CRAWFORD, OF STREATOR, rLLiNOIsa Letters Patent No. 93,419, dateduyust 10, 1869.

, HannvIi/IPIRO'V'ED DITCHING-MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Be it known that I, WILSON CRAWFORD, of Streator, in the-county of La Salle, and State of Illinois, have invented a new andimproved Ditching-Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

frame being detached; also one of thewhe'els removed and an extra, piow provided, whereby the machine is adapted to perform the office of a gang-plow.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish a simple and convenient ditching-machine, which shall be so constructed and arranged that the elevator may be removed, an extra plow attached, and other minor 'changes readily made for adapting the sameV to perform substantially thc office of a gang-plow when required, the several parts comprising the machine being. combined and. arranged all as hereinafter more fully described.

A is the front cross-bar ofthe frame, to the forward side of which the tongue B, by means of which the machine is drawn and guided, is attached.

Upon one end of the cross-bar A is formed, or to it is attached an axlc, O, to receive-the wheel I).

To the other end of the bar A is securely attached the forward end of the longitudinal bar E.

F is a longitudinal bar, the forward end Of which is securely attached to the front cross-bar A, and the rear end of which is securely connected with the rear part of the longitudinal bar E, by the short cross-bar G.

H is the ldrive-wheel, which is rigidly attached to the axle, or shaft N, the journals of which revolve in bearings attached lto the longitudinal bars E and F.

I is a detachable longitudinal bar, thel forward end of which is placed upon the projectiugend of the axle C, to which it is detachably secured by a pinfas shown in fig. 1. 4

The rear end of the longitudinal bar -I is supported by the caster-wheel J, which is detachably attached to said bar, as shown in-igs. 1` and 2.

K is the rear cross-bar, one end of which is attached to the upper-side of the short cross-bar G, and its other end is detachably attached to the detachable longitudinal bar I, by the bolt L, as shownin iig. 2.

M is the dirt-elevator, consisting 'of a series of rollers, ml, pivoted to a frame-work, fm2, which is hung ,from and rigidly connected with lthe` bar I, in an inclined position, so as to receive the dirt from the plow,

and raise it to the side of the ditch.

The elevator M should be provided with an endless apron, passing around the rollers m, to receive and carry up the dirt, as shown in red in tig.' 1.

To the projecting end of the journal of the upper roller m1 is attached a pulley, O, around which passes the band l.

The band l? passes over the guide and tension-pul ley Q, pivoted to the arm It, which is pivoted to thel rear cross-bar K, and is secured in position, when adjusted, by a pin passing through one or the other 'of the holes i'n the said arm It, and into a hole in the said bar K.

The band l?. passes over the guide-pulley S, pivoted to thebar K, and around the drive-pulley T, attached to the rear end of the shaft U, which revolves in bearings attached to the bars G and F, and tothe forward end of which isattached the bevel-'gear wheel V.

The teeth of the bevel-gear wheel V mesh intoV the teeth of the large ,bevel-gear wheel W, attached to the drive-wheel shaft N, so that the elevator may be operated by the advance of the machine. The lower forward corner of the elevator M is further supported by the rod X, lhe lowerend of which is secured to said elevator, and the upper end of which has ascrew-thread out upon it, passes up through the frame Y, to which the drivers seat Z is attached, and is securedto said frame by nuts, plaeed,the one above and the other below the said frame Y.

A is the plow, by which-the dirt is loosened and thrown upon the elevator M, the forwardI end of the beam B' of which is connected with the front cross-bar A, by means of a clevis, ring, or link 'and hook, as

shown in figs. 1 and 2. v

The rear part of the plow is steadied and heldin position by a bar, or rod, C', the rear end of which is attached to the rear part of the plow-beam B', and its other end is detachably secured to the bar I, as shown in figs. l and 2.

When the machineis to be used as a gang-plow, the caster-wheel J is detached from' the rear end of the bar I, and attached to the rear end of the bar E,"and

the bar I, and the elevator M attached to it, are removed from the machine, the rod G being detached from the bar I.

A short chain, D', i's interposed betweenthe clevis and hook, by means of which the beam B is connected to theffront cross-bar A, allowing the plow A' to drop backinto the position shown infg. 3.

The plow A is steadied in this position bythe rod, or Ybar E', one end of which isattached to the forwardv part of the plow-beam B', and the other end of which is secured to the seat-frame Y.

F is an extra plow, J[he forward end of the beam G of which is connected to the front cross-bar A, by means ot' a @levis-ring or link and hook, as shown in Iig. 3.

'lhe plow F' G is steadied by the rod, or bar H', one end of which is attached to the forward part of the beam G', zuid the other end of which is secured to lthe seat'- i'raule Y, as shown in fig. 3.

l' are chains, the lower ends of which are attached to the rear parts of the plow-beams B' and G', and the upper ends of which nre attached to the wheels J In the case of the plow A' B', when the chain D' is used, lthe chain I' should be carried back over the guidepulley Ii', pivoted to the rear end of the scat-frame Y, so as to bring the said chain into proper position to raise the said plow.

The wheels J are pivoted to the opposite sides of the seat-frame Y, and to them are attached the lower ends of the levers L', the upper ends of which extend up into such a position that they may be conveniently reached and operated by the driver from his seat.

M is a spring-lever catch, attached to the lever- L', which enters one or the other of the holes in the curved bars N, to hold the plows elevated to any desired distance. One or both the plows may be provided with a revolving cutter, O', if desired.

Having thus described my invention, v

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination and arrangement of the front cross-bar A, longitudinal bars E F, short cross-bar G, rear cross-bar K, and Wheels D and H, with each other, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the detachable longitudinal l bar I and elevator M with the axle C, ofthe wheel I), and with the trame K G E FA, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the band P, pulley O, guide and tension-pulley Q R, guide-pulley S, drive-pulley T, shaft U, and bevel-gear wheels V W, with each other, with the shaft N, of the drive-wheel H, and with the elevator M, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. rlhe combination of the plow A B and bar, or rod C'with the front cross-bar A, detachable longitudinal bar I, and elevator M, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

The combination of the plows A B and F G', and rods or bars E and H', with each other, and with the front cross-bar A and seat-frame Y, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

(i. The combination of the levers L', lever-spring catches M', curved catch-bars N', and chains I', with each other, with the scatti-arno Y, and with the plows A B' and F G', whether one or both of' said plows are used, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by mc, this 24th day of April, 1869.

WILSON CItAWFORD.

Witnesses JosIAH Oman., T. W. TIMMONS. 

